Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39010715›Full record

ArticleKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2025

Favourable clinical outcomes and low revision rate after M-ACI in adolescents with immature cartilage compared to adult controls: Results at 10 years.

Johannes Weishorn, Johanna Wiegand, Kevin-Arno Koch, Raphael Trefzer, Tobias Renkawitz, Tilman Walker, Yannic Bangert

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Johannes WeishornDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2031-7411
Johanna WiegandDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Kevin-Arno KochDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9876-2083
Raphael TrefzerDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3687-9830
Tobias RenkawitzDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Tilman WalkerDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9439-0841
Yannic BangertDepartment of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8392-7829

Funding

None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term survival, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and radiographic results of matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (M-ACI) in adolescents with immature cartilage and compare them to adult controls.

methodsA retrospective matched-pair analysis was performed comparing the PRO after M-ACI for focal cartilage defect of the knee in cartilaginous immature adolescents to mature adults. Groups were matched for sex, body mass index, defect site and size, symptom duration and the number of previous knee surgeries. Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART 2.0) scores were assessed at least 60 months postoperatively. Patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) and clinical response rate in KOOS and KOOS subscores were calculated.

resultsA total of 54 patients were matched. At a mean of 96 months (65-144 months), no surgical complications, graft hypertrophy or reoperations were noted in the cohorts studied. Adolescents showed superior PROs at the final follow-up (76.9 ± 14.1 vs. 66.4 ± 15.0, p = 0.03) and were significantly more likely to achieve PASS (74.1% vs. 55.6%; p = 0.02) compared to the adult cohort. The KOOS subscale analysis showed long-term benefits for adolescents in terms of symptom improvement, pain reduction, activities of daily living, sports and quality of life (p < 0.05). None of the patients in the adolescent group showed graft hypertrophy on magnet resonance imaging or signs of osteoarthritis on radiographs at long-term follow-ups.

conclusionsM-ACI is an effective treatment for chondral defects of the knee in patients with immature cartilage with low revision rates and high patient satisfaction over the long term. Adolescents showed comparable clinical and radiographic results in the short and medium term, with slightly more favourable, clinically relevant functional results in adolescents in the long term. M-ACI can be safely used in adolescents, and consideration should be given to expanding the indication to include these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Indexed as

Cartilage, ArticularChondrocytesPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresReoperationTransplantation, AutologousAdolescentAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansKnee InjuriesKnee JointMaleMatched-Pair AnalysisRetrospective StudiesTreatment Outcomeadolescentcartilageclinical studykneemagnetic resonance imaging

Identifiers

PMID39010715
PMCPMC11716355

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.